Notable win
$8 billion to blunt the diesel spike
On Oct. 19 USDA announced $8 billion in one-time payments to farmers to offset high diesel costs; per-crop rates are due in November and the application window has not been announced.
Why you should care
Diesel runs the tractors, the combines and the trucks that carry the crop, and it cost about $6.32 a gallon in early October, more than 70% above a year earlier. The payments soften the spike. They do not lower the price.
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